Optimising bench-level energy distribution based on drilling error measurements in the mining industry

Drillhole location deviations can disrupt energy distribution within mining benches, leading to uneven fragmentation and reduced operational efficiency. This study presents an optimisation approach that compensates for drilling inaccuracies to achieve more uniform energy input. The method involves discretizing the bench into a block model to estimate localised energy distribution and constructing a mathematical model to minimise discrepancies between the planned and actual energy delivery. A Tabu Search algorithm is used to solve the model. Case studies demonstrated improvements in the objective function, ranging from 0.53%–1.54% overall, and 2.14%–3.94% within the zones most affected by deviation.